World Cup Game 28 –Portugal 7 vs. 0 Korea DPR
Portugal produced a stunning second half display to hit 7 past minnows North Korea in a game which saw six different scorers in a one sided encounter in Cape Town. After Portugal’s poor start to the World Cup campaign, only managing a draw against the Ivory Coast, it was Carlos Queiroz side who needed to get back on track with a must win over the Koreans.
The Portuguese started brightly and never disappointed with a stunning display of attacking football hitting the post early in the first half from a Ricardo Carvalho header. After dominating for large parts of the game, Portugal finally found there breakthrough and in the 29th minute Raul Meirles slotted the ball home past keeper Ri Myong Guk to send the Portuguese into the lead.
A very poor North Korea side battled hard to get back into the game, but it was Portugal who turned on the style with a second half flurry of goals from Simao Sabrosa, Hugo Almeida, and Tiago, breaking the North Koreans spirits in a blistering seven minute spell. The Portuguese still weren’t finished and three late goals from Liedson, Ronaldo and Tiago rounded off as an excellent display of football to send the Koreans to an embarrassing 7-0 defeat.
World Cup Game 29 –Chile 1 vs. 0 Switzerland
With Switzerland on the back of a superb win over European Champions Spain, the Swiss were in a jubilant mood ahead of this group H encounter against Chile. Both sides needed the win to put them on the brink of the last 16, and it was Chile who took all three points in a close matched encounter which saw the Swiss reduced to 10 men.
The main talking point of the game was the poor display from the Saudi Arabia referee Khali Al-Ghamdi who dished out several yellow cards for inexplicable reasons and sent off Switzerland Valon Behrami in the 30th minute for nothing more than a tussle. Chile piled on the pressure after the sending off, and in the 75 minute finally got there reward after substitute Esteban Paredes rounded the Swiss keeper to cross it over to former Liverpool winger Gonzalez who headed home from close range.
World Cup Game 30 –Spain 2 vs. 0 Honduras
David Villa was the goal hero as Spain hit a brace to sink struggling minnow Honduras in a game dominated by the European Champions. After a disappointing opener to the World Cup, Spain got back to winning ways with a sizzling display of attacking football with Barcelona new boy Villa finding the net on two occasion in both halves, despite missing a second-half penalty.
Spain dominated for long periods of the game dictating the tempo, but struggled to break down a solid Honduras defence who never really threatened going forward, and it was the genius display of striker David Villa who made the difference and in the 17th minutes a superb run into the box past two defenders gave Spain the lead as Villa slide the ball top corner. The striker added a second in the 5lst minute when his stinging shot defected off a Honduras defender to secure the win and his second for the day.
World Cup Game 31 –France 1 vs. 2 South Africa
After the recent fiasco involving the French squad on and off the pitch, this crucial group A encounter between France and South Africa was a chance for the team to redeem themselves with a must win 90 minutes of football against a confident South African side in Bloemfontein.
With both sides relying on a favour from Uruguay or Mexico to reach the last 16, it was South Africa who put the early pressure on racing to an early lead when Bongani Khumelo headed home in the 20th minute to give the Bafana Bafana the lead. The game then turned sour when French midfielder Yoann Gourcuff saw red for an apparent elbow on defender Macbeth Sibaya, reducing the French to 10 men.
The second goal of the game came from South African striker Katlego Mphele who bundled home the ball from cross range to send the Bafana Bafana into a comfortable lead, France managed to pull one back when Florent Malouda tapped in a square ball from Frank Ribery after some excellent link up play from the current Bayern Munich forward.
World Cup Game 32 –Mexico 0 vs. 1 Uruguay
Despite both sides knowing that a draw would be enough to send them into the last 16 of the World Cup knockout stages, both sides never looked happy playing for the point. It was a gung- ho approach from the two South American teams that made this a lively encounter with Uruguay striker Luis Suarez’s netting the only winner just before the stroke of half time.
Both teams battled out for the win with Mexico going close midway through the first half with a stunning 25 yard strike thundering off the crossbar, before Suarez made sure of the three points smashing home from inside the box to ensure Uruguay prevail as group winners.
World Cup Game 33 –Nigeria 2 vs. 2 South Korea
South Korea secured there place in the last 16 of the World Cup, thanks to a dramatic 2-2 draw with Nigeria in the Moses Mabhida stadium. It was the Nigerians that took an early lead when Kalu Uche fired home in the 12 minute to give him his second goal of the 2010 World Cup campaign. The second goal of the game came from South Korean player Lee Jung-Soo who diverted a dangerous cross from Ki Sung-Yong to level the game one a piece.
As the game progressed, both sides looked anxious with Nigeria looking the most dangerous coming close from both Obafemi Martins and Yakubu, but it was again the Koreans who took advantage scoring in the 49th minute when Park Chu-Young curled a free kick low into the far corner give the on looking South Korean keeper no chance. However Nigeria did equalised in the last quarter of the game when Yakubu slotted home a penalty after a clumsy challenge from Kim Nam-II to give his side a share of the points.
World Cup Game 34 –Greece 0 vs. 2 Argentina
Argentina maintained there 100% record as they breezed past a poor Greece side in Polokwane. It was Maradona’s men who dominated the game for the full 90 minutes, leaving it until the least quarter of the game to score two deserved goals. Greece offering little in adventure, instead adopted a solid defensive line, which produced a man marking tactic used to stop world player of the year Lionel Messi in his attacking role.
This tactic worked for the first half of the game as star players such as Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero become virtually frustrated, however it was in the second half when Argentina finally made the break through scoring from a dangerous cross as Demichelis lashed home after some poor defending from the Greeks. The game was wrapped up in the last minute as Martin Palermo tapped in Argentina’s second after some excellent built-up play from Messi minutes after being denied by the woodwork himself.